DISEASE SUMMARY PAGE

Impaction in Waterfowl

Summary Information
Diseases / List of Miscellaneous / Metabolic / Multifactorial Diseases / Disease summary
Alternative Names Oesophageal Impaction

See also:

Disease Agents Various.
Infectious Agent(s)
Non-infectious Agent(s)
Physical Agent(s)
General Description Impaction of food in the gastro-intestinal tract, usually in the oesophagus sometimes in the proventriculus, gizzard or intestines (J36.41.w1, J7.30.w2, J1.27.w6, J14.19.w1, B11.34.w2, B15).
Further Information
  • with no obvious sign of a causative agent (B15).
  • while grazing lush spring pasture - described as 'impaction due to food overload' (J14.19.w1).
  • proventricular impaction associated with nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis and ganglioneuritis (J1.27.w6).
  • May occur in ducklings or goslings due to ingestion of tough vegetable matter or various foreign bodies including hay, straw, paper or shavings if used for as a substrate (B13.46.w1, B18).
  • Treatment by surgical removal of impacted material from the oesophagus has been reported (see: Oesophageal Surgery of Waterfowl). N.B. The oesophagus must be sutured securely in two layers (J3.111.w2, B11.34.w2).
Techniques linked to this disease
WaterfowlINDEXDisInvTrCntr.gif (2325 bytes)
Host taxa groups /species
Disease has been reported in either the wild or in captivity in the following WATERFOWL Species: [N.B. Miscellaneous / Traumatic Diseases tend to be under-reported and the majority are likely to affect all waterfowl species, given exposure to the related disease agents/factors.]
  • Canada geese Branta canadensis associated with nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis and ganglioneuritis (J1.27.w6).
  • Whooper swan Cygnus cygnus with lead poisoning (J3.111.w2).
  • Fulvous whistling-duck Dendrocygna bicolor (intestine), Florida duck (mottled duck) Anas fulvigula (J7.4.w1).
  • Goosander (common merganser) Mergus merganser, cinnamon teal Anas cyanoptera, scaup Marila sp. (J7.6.w1).
  • Carolina (wood duck) Aix sponsa and maned geese Chenonetta jubata in a collection in the UK (J7.32.w1).
  • Gizzard and/or proventriculus impactions associated with foreign body ingestion in red-breasted mergansers Mergus serrator in a collection in the UK (J7.30.w2).
  • In whistling ducks Dendrocygna spp. downies, juveniles and adults in a collection in the UK (J7.33.w2).
  • In ruddy duck Oxyura jamaicensis, Argentine ruddy duck (lake duck) Oxyura vittata and white-headed duck Oxyura leucocephala juveniles; also in downy stifftails, in a collection in the UK (J7.33.w3).
  • Rarely recorded (1% of adults, 2& of juveniles/downies) in geese (Anser spp. and Branta spp.) in a collection in the UK (J7.34.w1).
  • Gizzard impaction recorded in adult and juvenile swans in a collection in the UK (J7.43.w1)
  • Canada geese Branta canadensis, due to food overload while grazing lush spring pastures (J14.19.w1).
  • Various waterfowl, associated with gizzard lesions due to parasitism (J14.19.w1).
  • Wild mute swans Cygnus olor and whooper swans Cygnus cygnus associated with lead poisoning (J36.41.w1, J36.44.w1
  • Wild mute swan Cygnus olor with nylon fishing wire obstructing the gizzard (J36.44.w1).
  • Wild lesser scaup Aythya affinis with impacted snail shells occluding small intestine, on lower Detroit River (P10.28.w1).
Disease has been reported in free-ranging populations of the following WATERFOWL Species:
  • Canada geese Branta canadensis associated with nonsuppurative encephalomyelitis and ganglioneuritis (J1.27.w6).
  • Whooper swan Cygnus cygnus with lead poisoning (J3.111.w2).
  • Canada geese Branta canadensis, due to food overload while grazing lush spring pastures (J14.19.w1).
  • Various waterfowl, associated with gizzard lesions due to parasitism (J14.19.w1).
  • Wild mute swans Cygnus olor and whooper swans Cygnus cygnus associated with lead poisoning (J36.41.w1, J36.44.w1).
  • Wild mute swan Cygnus olor with nylon fishing wire obstructing the gizzard (J36.44.w1).
  • Wild lesser scaup Aythya affinis with impacted snail shells occluding small intestine, on lower Detroit River (P10.28.w1).
  • Canada geese Branta canadensis in Washington, USA (B15).

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